Collapsible toilet seat top



June 19, 1951 E. c. WILLIAMS COLLAPSIBLE TOILET SEAT TOP 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1948 .221 C. Wizlz'am INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

June 19, 1951 E. c. WILLIAMS 2,557,713 COLLAPSIBLE TOILET SEAT TOP Filed Aug. 4, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 6'. J5 53 J0 J4 J6.

J7 a; 1:: 121i": '1'.} 6 5-7 E C. Williams INVENTOR I BY I I 1 ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible toilet seat tops.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved collapsible toilet seat top, which will be supported with a toilet bowl upon a vertical sewerage discharge pipe for rotation in a horizontal plane, said seat top comprising a pair of cooperating interconnected seat portions adapted to be automatically collapsed when disposed within a wall between two adjacent rooms when not in use, and said seat top being so arranged that it may be swung from its storage position in the Wall into either room when the toilet is to be used and the seat top automatically expanded to its normal size.

The invention constitutes an improvement over my prior patent on a toilet, bearing number 2,443,214, issued on June 15, 1948, which describes in detail a toilet which will be stored in a wall between two adjacent rooms when not in use, and which may be swung into either of said rooms for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved collapsible toilet seat top which will be highly efiicient in use, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved collapsible toilet seat top showing the seat portions thereof in collapsed position, the dotted lines showing the toilet seat after it has been swung laterally and the seat portions have been spread apart for use.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved collapsible toilet seat top.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the pivot lock for the toilet seat top.

Fig. 4 is a view of the linkage for the collapsible toilet seat top shown in collapsed position.

Fig. 5 is a view of the linkage for the collapsible toilet seat top shown in expanded position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a. detail sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, it will be under stood that the toilet bowl generally designated by the reference numeral l and the collapsible toilet seat top generally designated by the reference numeral 2 will be mounted upon and rotatable with a vertical sewerage disposal pipe 3, and that the toilet bowl I and seat top 2 will be stored in a wall (not shown) between two adjacent rooms (not shown) when not in use, and said toilet bowl I and seat top 2 being swingable from the wall into either room when it is to be used.

A stationary sleeve '4 is disposed about the sewerage disposal pipe 3 for rotatably mounting said pipe 3, the toilet bowl I and the seat top 2 being connected to the pipe 3 for rotation therewith in a manner about to be described. A substantially triangular supporting platform 5 is secured to the pipe 3 for rotation therewith and is provided with the upwardly extending bearing ears 6 and 1 at its outer corners. The bowed guide rod 8 is mounted through apertures 9 in the ears 6 and I, being secured by the nuts Ill and II.

Upwardly extending pairs of cam lugs I2 and I3, and downwardly extending stop lugs I l and I5 are rigidly attached to the sleeve 4 for cooperation with the linkage for operating the seat top portions l6 and l1.

A pair of bell-crank link arms [8 and I9 are pivotally supported upon the pivot studs 29 and 2| extending upwardly from the supporting platform 5, and are formed with upwardly extending operating studs 22 and 23 on their outer ends.

U-shape notches 24 and 25 are formed in the inner ends of the link arms l8 and I9 for engagement with the stop lugs l4 and I5.

Inwardly extending ears 26 and 21, and 28 and 29 are formed integrally with the link arms l8 and 9 at the opposite sides of the pivot studs 20 and 2!.

Cross link straps to and 31 are connected between the ears 2B and 29, and 21 and 28 on the link arms l8 and I9, by means of the pins 32 and cotter pins 33. Vertically aligned apertures 34 are formed through the overlapping portions of the cross link straps 39 and 3| for receiving a locking pin 35, hereinafter more full described.

A cover plate 36 is detachably secured over the linkage, resting upon and being secured to the supporting platform 5 by means of the bolt 37, said cover plate '36 also being provided with apertures 38 for fitting over the pivot studs 20 and 2|.

An arcuate connecting link 39 having apertures 1% I. 40 in its opposite ends is attached by means of the bolts 4| to the front ends of the seat top portions l6 and H. The bolts 4| will extend through said seat top portions l6 and I1, and will be provided with enlarged heads 42 on one end and threaded on their opposite ends to receive the rubber cushion nuts 43 which are adapted to rest upon the upper edge of the toilet bowl I.

The pivot lock for securing the seat cover in collapsed position includes the locking pin 35 pivotally supported by the lock actuating finger 44 which is pivotally supported on the pivot pin 45 disposed through the upturned bearing ear 46 on the supporting plate 5. A coil spring 41 will be supported between the studs 48 and 49 respectively attached to the lock actuating finger 4d and the supporting plate 5. The spring yieldably presses the finger upwardly to retain it in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 and thus normally retains the lock pin in depressed position, in which it extends downwardly through the openings 34 to releasably lock the arms l8 and IS in their positions shown in Fig. 4. If, thereafter, the seat top is swung from its full line to its dotted line position seen in Fig. l, the actuating finger 44 will be depressed at its rear end by cam I2 or l3 after about 45 of travel of the seat top toward said dotted line position, so as automatically to dis engage the locking finger 35 from the openings 34 and permit the members It and H to be spread by other means about to be described.

An arcuate guide shield 50 is provided with apertured bearing ears and 52 at its opposite ends, said ears being pivotally supported upon the opposite ends of the bowed guide rod 8 adjacent the upwardly extending bearing ears 6 and 1 formed in the supporting plate 5. This guide shield is formed with the curved longitudinal slots 5| and 52' respectively receiving the lugs or studs 22 and 23.

The inner ends of the seat top portions l6 and H are formed with the inwardly extending parallel bearing yokes 53 and 54 which are provided with the circumferential annular guide grooves 55 and 56 in which the upwardly extending operating studs 22 and 23 on the link arms l8 and |9 are adapted to ride. The shield 50 straddles said yokes 53 and 54.

It will be seen that when the seat top portions I6 and H are in collapsed position, the studs 22 and 23 are in the slots 5| and 52, and hence it will be impossible to raise or pivot the seat top portions l6 and I1. However, when the seat top portions l6 and H are in their expanded position the studs 22 and 23 will have moved out of the slots, and the seat top portions I6 and I1 may be swung upwardly at will.

Assuming that the toilet seat top was in collapsed position and it was desired to swing the same into position for use, it is only necessary to pull the seat top outwardly about the sewerage disposal pipe 3 to a position at 90 degrees at either side of the collapsed position. After about 45 degrees of this travel the lock pin 35 is released by one or the other of the cam lugs l2 and I3, depending on the direction of swinging movement. Then, one of the U-shape notches 24 and 25 will be engaged by a stop lug M or l5, dependin upon which way the toilet and seat top is moved. The stationary lug l4 or l5, as a result, will cause the bell-crank link arms l8 and I!) to pivot about the pivot studs 20 and 2|, causing the outer ends thereof with the upwardly extending operating studs 22 and 23 to move outwardly, thereby not only positioning the seat for upward link arms on engagement swinging, but also moving the seat top portions 15 and l! outwardly upon the bowed guide rod 8 to their extended position. Obviously, movement in the reverse direction will cause the seat top portions to be collapsed.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has been illustrated and described it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A device of the character described including a rotatable supporting pipe, a stationary sleeve mounted thereon, a laterally extending supporting plate disposed about said sleeve and rotatable with the pipe and formed with upstanding bearing ears at its outer edge, a bowed guide rod extending through said bearing ears, seat top portions slidably supported on said guide rod. stop lugs on said sleeve, and levers pivotally supported on said supporting plate connected at one end with said seat top portions and engageable by said stop lugs at the other end, for spreading said seat top portions when said seat top portions and supporting plate are swung about said sleeve.

2. A device of the character described including a rotatable supporting pipe, a stationary sleeve mounted thereon, a laterally extending supporting plate disposed about said sleeve and rotatable with the pipe and formed with upstanding bearing ears at its outer edge, a bowed guide rod extending through said bearing ears, seat top portions slidably supported on said guide rod, stop lugs on said sleeve, linkage supported on said supporting plate connectable with said seat top portions and said stop lugs for spreading said seat top portions when said seat top portions and supporting plate are swung in either direction about said sleeve and said linkage including bell-crank link arms pivotally supported on said supporting plate and respectively engaged at one end with the seat top portions and engageable at their other ends by the stop lugs on said swinging movement of the seat top portions for pivotally swinging the link arms outwardly responsive to said swinging movement of the seat portions, said linkage including crossed link straps pivotally connected to said link arms for joint outward swinging of said arms.

3. A device of the character described including a rotatable supporting pipe, a stationary sleeve mounted thereon, a laterally extending supporting plate disposed about said sleeve and rotatable with the pipe and formed with upstanding bearing ears at its outer edge, a bowed guide rod extending through said bearing ears, seat top portions slidably supported on said guide rod, stop lugs on said sleeve, linkage supported on said supporting plate connectable with said seat top portions and said stop lugs for spreading said seat top portions when said seat top portions and supporting plate are swung in either direction about said sleeve, said linkage including bell-crank link arms pivotally supported on said supporting plate and respectively engaged at one end with the seat top portions and engageable at their other ends by the stop lugs for outward swinging of the link arms responsive to rotatable swinging of the supporting plate, crossed link straps pivotally connected to said link arms for joint swinging of the of either link by a stop my invention, what I lug, bearing yokes on the inner ends of said seat top portions, and upstanding operating studs formed on the outer ends of said link arms and engageable in said yokes for actuating the same and said seat top portions.

4. A device of the character described including a rotatable supporting pipe, a stationary sleeve mounted thereon, a laterally extending supporting plate disposed about said sleeve and rotatable with the pipe and formed with upstanding bearing cars at its outer edge, a bowed guide rod extending through said bearing ears, seat top portions slidably supported on said guide rod, stop lugs on said sleeve, linkage supported on said supporting plate connectable with said seat top portions and said stop lugs for spreading said seat top portions when said seat top portions and supporting plate are swung in either direction about said sleeve, said linkage including bellcrank link arms pivotally supported on said supporting plate and respectively engaged at one end with the seat top portions and engageable at their other ends by the stop lugs for outward swinging of the link arms responsive to rotatable swinging of the supporting plate, crossed link straps pivotally connected to said link arms for joint swinging of the link arms on engagement of either link arm by a stop lug, bearing yokes on the inner ends of said seat top portions, upstanding operating studs formed on the outer ends of said link arms and engageable in said yokes for actuating the same and said seat top portions, and said link arms being formed with bearing notches in their inner ends selectively engageable by the stop lugs on said sleeve.

5. A device of the character described including a rotatable supporting pipe, a stationary sleeve mounted thereon, a laterally extending supporting plate disposed about said sleeve and rotatable with the pipe and formed with upstanding bearing ears at its outer edge, a bowed guide rod extending through said bearing ears, seat top portions slidably supported on said guide rod, stop lugs on said sleeve, linkage supported on said supporting plate connectable with said seat top portions and said stop lugs for spreading said seat top portions when said seat top portions and supporting plate are swung in either direction about said sleeve, said linkage including bellcrank link arms pivotally supported on said supporting plate and respectively engaged at one end with the seat top portions and engageable at their other ends by the stop lugs for outward swinging of the link arms responsive to rotatable swinging of the supporting plate, crossed link straps pivotally connected to said link arms for joint swinging of the link arms on engagement of either link by a stop lug, bearing yokes on the inner ends of said seat top portions, upstanding operating studs formed on the outer ends of said link arms and engageable in said yokes for actuating the same and said seat top portions, said link arms being formed with bearing notches in their inner ends selectively engageable by the stop lugs on said sleeve, and a pivoted resiliently tensioned latch pin engageable with said crossed link straps for securing said seat top portions collapsed.

EMORY C. WILLIAMS.

No references cited. 

